Tech Bulletin
World Leader in Race Fuel Technology™
Tech Bulletin prepared by Steve Burns, Director-Research & Development
Racing Fuels for Motorcycles, Powersports
MR Series -- VP Racing’s MR series fuels are all designed to
Q16TM – Replaces VP’s MR8 as the fuel of choice for 125/250 GP
make the maximum power within fuel rule specifications for their
respective sanctions and applications.
The MR fuels run
substantially cleaner than any other fuel formulated
specifically for motorcycles and other powersport
applications. Teardowns of factory team engines revealed that
MR fuels ran significantly cleaner in intake and exhaust valves.
Keeping the intake track and valves deposit-free is important to
maintain proper airflow and full power for the entire race.
bikes or other higher compression 2-stroke applications where
oxygenated fuels are allowed. With a motor octane of 116, Q16
offers more detonation protection than MR8. Because Q16 is
oxygenated to a much higher level than MR8, jetting may need to
be richened up substantially to compensate. All in all, Q16
generates power comparable to MR8 for a much lower cost!
C12TM – Introduced by VP 35 years ago, C12 is arguably the
MR12TM - VP’s best fuel yet for 4-stroke applications that can
tolerate lower octane values, makes more power for powersport
applications than any fuel on the market. Dyno tests proved up to
5% more power than VP’s MR9 and up to 6% more power than
VP’s MRX01! Although currently not legal in AMA Pro Racing,
MR12 passes fuel rules for AMA Pro/Am, CCS, WERA, AFM,
NMA, WORCS, SCORE and Best in the Desert as well as club
level racing and more.
winningest fuel in history across all forms of racing that are not
constrained by spec fuel rules. C12 is leaded and has the highest
octane and resistance to detonation of any of the fuels listed here,
making it an excellent choice for power and protection. More
motorcycle National Championships (motocross or roadracing)
have been won with C12 than any other single fuel. In terms of
performance vs. cost, it’s still a cost-effective choice for amateur
racing as well.
MRX01TM – Engineered to meet the demands of top professional
Motorsport 103TM – VP's most cost effective unleaded fuel,
motocross teams who demand maximum power with enough
octane to run in both 4- and 2-stroke applications. MRX01 makes
up to 5% more power than pump gas and won numerous AMA
125cc and 250cc Supercross and Outdoor National championships prior to implementation of AMA’s unleaded fuel rule. Also
produces excellent performance in higher compression road
racing applications. Currently AMA legal except for Supercross
and Outdoor Nationals.
MS103 provides excellent performance and throttle response
while meeting the AMA Pro Racing unleaded fuel rule. MS103
offers superior detonation protection for high compression 2-stroke
race engines as well as meeting the high demands of today’s 4stroke motocross bikes. For additional performance benefits,
check out our AMA Pro Racing-legal MR-PRO5 unleaded fuel,
described above.
NEW! MR-PRO5
Motorsport 109TM and Motorsport 109ETM – Both of these
– An unleaded fuel designed to meet the
lower octane demands of 4-stroke racing engines and formulated
to make maximum power under the current AMA Pro Racing
unleaded fuel rule. Used by top riders in AMA Motocross and
Supercross. Legal in all AMA Pro Racing.
unleaded fuels are a good option for 4-stroke or 2-strokes and
make more power than any unleaded racing fuel on the
market – up to 4% more than pump gas. Appropriate for all
disciplines of motorcycle racing–dirt bike, road race or street bike
(off road use only). Both pass fuel rules for AMA amateur racing
as well as club level racing, CCS, WERA and AFM. MS109E is
oxygenated with ethanol and legal for use in competition in all 50
states, including those that restrict the use of MTBE in fuels.
TM
M8-1TM – Designed and specifically formulated to maximize
power and performance in FIM MX and Road Race competition.
Excellent for MX, Superbikes and more. Used by Team USA to
win Motocross of Nations four consecutive years through 2009.
High profile engine builders in Europe report horsepower gains of
2-3% over other top-selling brands, making M8-1 the fuel of choice
from Indianapolis to Suzuka to Catalunya.
VP100TM – Well-suited for high-performance motorcycles, ATVs,
personal watercraft and karts. Unleaded and oxygenated with
ethanol, VP100 meets California Air Resource Board (CARB)
requirements and is street legal in most areas of the U.S. At 100
octane (R+M/2), it generates substantial power increases over
premium grade 92 octane pump gas. Offers excellent performance
in 2- and 4-stroke MX applications as well as off-road racing,
including hare scrambles, desert and enduro racing.
Other Motorcycle/Powersport Fuel Choices
U4.4TM– If you’re not bound by fuel rules, this leaded fuel is the
best choice for virtually any powersports application based on cost
vs. performance. The latest generation of our U4-based fuels,
U4.4 makes up to 6% more power than pump gas across a
wider range of applications than its predecessors. It yields no
sticky residue and is more resistant to heat. Designed as a direct,
pour-in replacement for pump gas, it will require modest jetting
changes, i.e., +2 main jets or +2 pilot jets at most. With its higher
octane rating, U4.4 is designed for use in stock and modified 2stroke and 4-stroke applications. Conforms with fuel rules in the
same series as outlined under MR12.
Property
MR12
MR10 MRX01
MR
All of VP’s fuels are conveniently available from your local VP
dealer in 5-, 15-, 30- and 54-gallon drums
To maintain the original properties and comply with Health and
Safety regulations, fuels should be handled and stored in a cool
place and always maintained in tightly sealed drums. Do not
expose the fuel to direct sunlight as the ultraviolet rays will oxidize
the lead.
M8-1
U4.4
C12
Q16
MS
MS
MS
VP100
Spec Gravity @ 60ْ F
Motor Octane
Reid Vapor Press.
Distillation Fْ - IBP
10% Evap.
50% Evap.
90% Evap.
E.P.
Lead
Oxygenated
Color
* 58.10 kPa @ 37.8°C
.733
87
11.6
94.3
106
122.5
258.8
324.5
Yes
Yes
Purple
.741
86
11.47
.717
98
9.73
103.4
121.5
151.8
214.5
230.0
Yes
Yes
Pink
PRO5
.760
86
10.36
.739
90
*
.763
103
6.76
.717
.716
108
116
7.30
6.76
103.0
131.0 141.0
194.0 174.0
228.0 214.5
233.3 260.2
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Green Yellow
103
.743
99
2.9
109
.722
101
6.17
109E
.805
99
8.43
116.4
**
139.5
190.0 147.0 137.7
128.7
138.5
**
174.0
210.4 167.8 161.8
316.5
229.5
**
225.5
217.1 213.3 309.6
323.4
240.3
**
225.5
225.7 263.8 364.3
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Pale
Light
Yellow Light
Clear Clear Yellow
Green
PPurple
Green
** 40.0% evap @ 70°C; 64.5% evap @ 100°C; >99.0% evap @ 150°C; FBP 144.0°C
.746
96
6.8
148.0
210.0
216.0
238.0
No
Yes
Orange
The four most important properties of racing fuel
You can't make a racing fuel that has the best of everything, but
you can produce one that will give your particular engine the most
power. This is why we produce different fuels for different
applications. The key to getting the best racing gasoline is not
necessarily buying the fuel with the highest octane, but getting one
that is best suited for your engine.
1.
OCTANE – This is simply the rating of a fuel’s ability to resist
detonation and/or preignition. Octane is rated in Research
Octane Numbers (RON), Motor Octane Numbers (MON), and
Pump Octane Numbers (R+M/2). Pump Octane Numbers
are what you see on the yellow decal at the gas stations and
represents an average of RON and MON. VP reports MON
ratings because this method tests a fuel’s performance under
a heavier load than the RON method, thus better simulates
racing conditions. Most other companies use RON because it
sounds better in marketing messages. Don't be fooled by
high RON numbers or an average—MON is the most
relevant for a racing application. However, a fuel’s ability to
resist preignition is more than just a function of octane.
2.
3.
4.
BURNING SPEED - The speed at which fuel releases its
energy. In a high-speed internal combustion engine, there is
very little time (real time - not crank rotation) for the fuel to
release its energy. Peak cylinder pressure should occur
around 20° ATDC. If the fuel is still burning after this, it is not
contributing to peak cylinder pressure, which is what the rear
wheels see.
ENERGY VALUE - An expression of the potential in the fuel.
The energy value is measured in BTUs per pound, not per
gallon. The difference is important. The air:fuel ratio is in
weight, not volume. Remember, this is the potential energy
value of the fuel. This difference will show up at any
compression ratio or engine speed.
COOLING EFFECT: The cooling effect on fuel is related to
the heat of vaporization. The higher the heat of vaporization,
the better its effect on cooling the intake mixture. This is of
some benefit in a four-stroke engine, but can be a big gain in
two-stroke engines.
VP Distribution
VP RACING FUELS, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, USA T: 210-635-7744 F: 210-635-7999
vpracingfuels.com
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